


Magical Mishaps

by CrypticNotCoy (Reveles)



Series: Time Travel Fics [6]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Archery, Bad Parent Robert Lightwood, Good Parent Maryse Lightwood, Healing, Injury, M/M, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-17 13:00:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29100660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reveles/pseuds/CrypticNotCoy
Summary: When a mission goes wrong, Alec finds himself transported back to 1993 alongside Jace
Relationships: Alec Lightwood & Jace Wayland, Alec Lightwood & Maryse Lightwood, Alec Lightwood & Robert Lightwood, Magnus Bane & Jace Wayland, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Series: Time Travel Fics [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2131155
Comments: 19
Kudos: 235





	Magical Mishaps

**Author's Note:**

> Yes... it's another time travel fic, but I'm not even sorry! I hope you like it!

"Alec! Jace! Watch out!" Izzy yelled and Alec turned just in time to narrowly avoid being impaled by the demon's stinger. Jace wasn't so lucky, with the poisonous tip embedding itself in his shoulder.

"Crap," Alec muttered, and in one swift movement ran the demon through with his seraph blade, "At least that was the last one,"

"Yeah," Izzy replied. The three of them had gone out on a patrol (for old times sake since Alec rarely had time anymore because of his duties as Consul) and ran into a large infestation of demons that had been summoned by a wayward warlock.

Satisfied that they were out of danger, Alec turned to Jace who was about to draw an iratze on his arm, "No you idiot! It's poisonous, we need to keep pressure on it and then get you to Magnus,"

"Tis but a scratch," Jace said but obliged, sliding his stele back into his pocket as Alec bandaged his shoulder tightly.

"Just like dragon demons are nearly extinct, huh?" Alec joked, trying to lighten the mood

Jace's mouth quirked up in a smile, but Alec could see that he was close to passing out. He was about to say something when Jace stumbled, pulling them both over so they landed on top of some complex spell circle that the warlock had drawn. Instantly, they were enveloped in a blinding white light.

As the light dimmed, Alec was shocked to find that Izzy had disappeared and that all evidence of their previous battle had vanished alongside her.

"Wha' just happened?" Jace slurred, his eyes unfocused

"I don't know, we fell onto some kind of spell circle and then... Izzy disappeared,"

Jace frowned, "That's not good. Do you think it's why I feel like someone ran a blade along my side?"

"Jace! Do you seriously have another injury that you forgot to tell me about!" Alec reprimanded, pulling Jace's shirt up to see the damage only to see no injury. "There's nothing here,"

"Huh... wait a second," Jace reached out his good arm and lifted Alec's shirt, immediately finding the source of the pain to be a long, deep gash in his parabatai's side, "It's you,"

"We have more important things to worry about than a cut. Namely getting you healed and then finding Izzy," Alec snapped, pulling Jace to his feet while ignoring the burning pain in his side. Now that Jace had called his attention to it, the wound was very painful, especially when coupled with the echo of pain he felt from Jace's shoulder wound.

"Stop being so stubborn," Jace mummed before his head lolled forward, nearly pulling Alec over now that he wasn't supporting any of his own weight. 

"Hypocrite," Alec muttered, adjusting the unconscious weight of his parabatai and stumbling out of the abandoned building and onto the bustling streets of New York. But it wasn't the New York he was used to. Something felt distinctly off, and when Alec saw the date on a newspaper stand he dragged a unconscious Jace past, he quickly realised why. It was 1993, one year after the Uprising.

Alec's mind spun as he struggled to comprehend the situation, somehow, that spell circle had managed to send them back in time. There was no way he could just show up at the loft with him and Jace bleeding all over the place, because Magnus wouldn't know them... his own husband would have no clue who he was. And Max and Rafael wouldn't have even been born yet, and neither would have his little brother Max. Izzy would barely be two and he himself would only be somewhere around four. Jace would still be living with Valentine and- he shook himself out of his thoughts, Jace was injured, he needed healing first and then Alec could panic about their situation.

But where could they go? The loft was out of the question, and there was no way that Maia's pack (were they really Maia's even if it was 1993?) would help a couple of shadowhunters they didn't even know, and the vampires at the DuMort were still under Camille's vicious thumb. That only left one option, the Institute, where he would find the significantly younger versions of his parents, himself, and Izzy. Not a great option, but as he looked at the blood seeping out of the bandages on Jace's shoulder he knew it was their only one.

Turning around, he began hauling Jace in the direction of the Institute, trying his best to ignore the burning pain in his side and the black dots starting to cloud his vision.

After what felt like an eternity but was really only a few minutes, he saw the familiar shape of the Institute begin to loom into view, breathing a sigh of relief, he swung open the gates and began to stumble up the stone steps until he reached the heavy oak doors. Deciding that due to their current time travel dilemma, the best thing to do would be to knock, he lifted his arm that wasn't busy stopping Jace from faceplanting onto the ground and knocked loudly on the door.

Alec could feel his head spinning due to the effects of the poison, and so when the door was opened by a much younger, but still very much familiar, person, he couldn't stop the sigh of relief that escaped him.

And then he pitched forward, the world fading to darkness as he heard his mother's shocked gasp.

It was around an hour after, that he came to, the familiar feeling of Magnus's magic washing over him as he became aware enough of his surroundings to notice the three hushed voices speaking.

"They just appeared at the door of the Institute, the blond one was unconscious, and the other was barely able to stand up," Maryse said

"So you have no idea where they came from? No communication from other Institutes?" Robert asked, doing a significantly worse job of keeping his voice quiet

"No, of course not. I'm just worried, what if they're dangerous? What if they hurt Alec and Isabelle?" Maryse replied

"You wouldn't have heard anything from other Institutes," came the tiered voice of Magnus, who seemed to be the closest to Alec, still working on the wound in his side.

"This does not concern you warlock," Robert said harshly

"Let the man speak Robert, any information would be welcome," Maryse chastised, using the commanding voice that Alec had become so familiar with over the years, the one that left no room for argument (and could even make Max eat his vegetables, a feat that both Magnus and Alec were still struggling with).

"Fine," Alec could hear the contempt in his father's tone

"There's something wrong with their aura, it's displaced, as if they don't belong here. Or should I say, as if they don't belong _now_ ," Magnus explained, and unless you knew him well, you wouldn't be able to hear the disbelief colouring his tone.

"Do you mean..." Maryse trailed off, her confusion mirroring what Alec had felt when he had come to the same realisation mere hours ago.

"They've time travelled," Magnus confirmed, "From what I can detect, it was warlock magic from around nineteen years in the future. Anything else we will need to ask them,"

"We? Maryse and I will take care of this, warlock. Your job is done, you have healed them so now you can leave," Robert said coldly

"Of course, if you are in need of any further magical assistance with this matter then I am only a fire message away," Magnus replied, his tone professional but laced with distaste.

As Magnus was about to move away from the bed, Alec grabbed his wrist and opened his eyes to see the shocked look on Magnus's face, "Stay, please,"

Even nineteen years in the past, Magnus looked the same, his gold green cat eyes rimmed with eyeliner, his ears studded with various precious stones. But there was something infinitely more closed off about him, a sort of lifelessness in his eyes. Magnus had told Alec that he had felt himself starting to calcify, to forget how to love, but it was something completely different to seeing it up close.

"I-" Magnus started, looking down at where Alec held his wrist, preventing his from walking away

"Good, you're awake!" Maryse said, walking over to Alec's bed, "If you're feeling well enough, do you think you could explain what happened to you? Or even just begin with your name and the name of the man that you brought with you,"

"Only if Magnus can stay," Alec said and upon seeing everyone's looks of confusion hurried to elaborate, "It was warlock magic that brought us here, so it's probably going to be warlock magic that will get us back. Magnus is the High Warlock of Brooklyn, he would be the best for the job,"

"I don't see why-" Robert began

"That would be logical. Very well, Warlock Bane you may stay," Maryse cut in, silencing Robert with a look

"Thank you Mrs Lightwood," Magnus replied, and Alec fought not to smile at the hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"So, would you be able to explain your circumstances to us?" Maryse asked, looking over to Alec who sighed and let go of Magnus's wrist before pulling himself up into a more comfortable sitting position. He glanced over to the bed on his left and was relived to find Jace lying there, his wound covered in fresh bandages and his face returned to it's usual healthy golden colour instead of the sickly pale it had been before.

"Uh, yeah," Alec began, deciding to just tell them everything. He knew that if- no, _when_ -he couldn't afford to think in if's- he and Jace got back to their time, Magnus would do some kind of memory spell and make everyone forget that this ever happened. "So, we were on a patrol and came across a demon infestation, we managed to kill them all along with the help of our sister, but were wounded in the process. While I was trying to do some first aid on his shoulder, he fell over and we landed on some kind of spell circle. Then there was a flash of light and we ended up in this time. I thought the best thing to do would be to come to the Institute," During his explanation, Alec had been careful to avoid using his or Jace's names, even though he knew that he would have to tell them at some point, he wanted to avoid as much shock as possible. 

Magnus nodded, "That does make sense. I'll have to look into what I can do to reverse it,"

Of course, his efforts with making sure not to mention names were for nothing when the next question his mother asked was, "So, who are you? If you are to be staying at the Institute until Warlock Bane can figure out how to send you back then I would like to know who you are,"

Alec sighed before pointing to Jace, "That's Jace Herondale, my parabatai," he paused for a moment, wondering weather or not he should use his married name when introducing himself. He decided against it though, it would be enough of a shock for his parents to realise that their son had travelled back in time, let alone adding the fact that he was gay and married to a warlock, specifically the very warlock that was helping them. "And I'm Alec Lightwood," The looks on their faces made Alec glad that he had forgone using his married name, he gave them a small smile and said, "Hey Mum and Dad,"

"What... are you really our Alec?" Maryse asked, a flurry of emotions crossing her face as Alec lifted up his right hand to show where the Lightwood family ring sat on his finger. "By the angel, why were you doing something so dangerous?" she reprimanded and Alec couldn't help but smile as he remembered how many times his mother had said that to him.

After taking a longer moment to process this, Robert switched into the fatherly mode that Alec so rarely got to see, and, he was reminded with a wave of sadness, would never get to see again, "I agree with your mother, you should be more careful,"

"Believe me, this is not the worst thing that's happened to us," Alec said before hastily adding, "Don't ask. Please,"

"We wont," Maryse promised, crossing the distance between them and hugging Alec, "We'll get you home,"

"Thanks Mum," Alec replied, sinking into the hug easily as the gravity of the situation hit him again. He had to get back, he had to see his sons again, had to see _his_ Magnus, had to see Izzy and the older version of his mother. He had to get back to his family.

Almost as soon as Maryse let go of him, Jace stirred in the bed next to him, "What... why am I in the Infirmary?" he blinked open his gold eyes sluggishly and turned his head to face Alec, not seeming to notice that there was anyone else in the room, "Why are we in the Infirmary? We normally just go straight to your place so Magnus doesn't have to bother portaling here every second day,"

Alec had forgotten just how much Jace rambled after waking up, "Jace, it's a long story,"

"What, is your husband too busy doing High Warlock stuff?"

"Jace!" Alec hissed, not daring to look up and see the other's reactions. "That spell circle you fell over onto? That took us back in time, 1993 to be exact. We're in the Institute's infirmary with my parents and Magnus who just healed us and are looking for a way to get us back,"

Jace's eyes widened and he scrambled to pull himself up into a sitting position, "Oh shit... sorry,"

"You better be, Herondale,"

"Don't get snappy with me Lightwood-Bane!" Jace replied on auto-pilot before realising that he had just made the hole he had dug himself and Alec into even deeper.

"Just, stop talking. For the sake of my sanity, please, keep your mouth shut," Alec gritted out, before tearing his eyes away from Jace and glancing at the others. Robert looked both disgusted and angry, while Maryse just looked confused, her eyes darting between Alec and Magnus. Magnus's eyes were wide with shock, his mouth hanging open slightly.

The silence was broken when the door to the infirmary burst open and a small child with messy black hair came running into the room before coming to a stop in front of Maryse, "Mum look, I found an arrow! It was in the hallway!"

Maryse lent down and picked the boy up, resting his weight on her hip, "Really? That is very interesting Alec," she took the arrow from the boys hands, clearly afraid that he might hurt himself with the sharp tip. It was one of Alec's, most likely having fallen out of his quiver as he was brought to the infirmary.

"When will I get to use the bow?" the young Alec asked adorably, reminding Alec of Max's and Rafe's determination to train even though they were both so young.

"Soon, and it's lots of fun," Alec told him, smiling despite the weirdness at speaking to himself at four years old

"Are you an archer?" young Alec asked him excitedly, looking at where Alec's bow and quiver had been hung over the bedpost at the end of his bed.

"He is, and he's the best," Jace said, "He can hit a bullseye even while he flips down from the beams in the training room. And on the field, well, I'm just thankful that he's on my side,"

"You say that as if you aren't the best warrior of our generation," Alec replied, still unable to take a compliment

Jace nodded, "That's why we're such a good team," he looked over at where the young version of his parabatai was looking at them both in admiration, "One day, I'm sure you'll be the best archer that the shadoworld has ever seen,"

"Really?" young Alec asked

"Really," Jace confirmed

"See Mummy? When I'm older, I'll get to shoot all of the demins!" young Alec proclaimed making Alec grin, the way that his younger self pronounced demons was almost identical to the way Max says it.

"Yes you will, but for now why don't we give that arrow back?" Maryse said, looking at her small son with fondness as she put him down and watched him slip the arrow back into Alec's quiver.

"Will I get to have a cool bow like that one day?" young Alec asked

"You sure will, now, why don't you go and practise your runes? We need to finish helping these men," Robert said, breaking out of his silence for the first time since Jace's slip up.

"Okay..." young Alec sighed and walked out of the room, pulling the door closed behind him just as a swirling portal opened up in the infirmary and Magnus- _his_ Magnus came rushing out of it, Magnus brushed past his younger self and immediately enveloped Alec in a hug.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Izzy told me what happened and I took a look at the spell circle and realised that it must have been time travel. So she and I spent hours setting up a way to get you back and I was so worried but I didn't want to tell the kids or your mother because then they would worry and-" Magnus rambled

"Hey, it's okay. I'm fine," Alec reassured him

"And I'm fine too, thanks for the concern," Jace muttered though there was no real heat in it

Magnus let go of Alec and waved a hand dismissively at Jace, his composure returned now that he knew Alec was safe, "It wasn't you I was worried about. Although it would be good if you stayed alive, just so I can have someone to send photos of the ducks at Central Park to,"

Before Jace could voice his hatred of those 'blood thirsty little beasts', Magnus turned to the others in the room, including his younger self, "Thank you for healing them both. I hope you understand that I need to do a memory spell on you though, because anything that you know about the future can be detrimental to it,"

Robert looked like he was about to say something distasteful, but Maryse was the first to speak, "Of course, we understand. Although, Alec did come in here just before, he didn't hear anything about the future though,"

Magnus nodded, "If he didn't hear anything then it will be fine. I can just make it so all you remember is helping to heal two shadowhunters from a different Institute,"

"Why should I let you mess with my head, warlock?" Robert snarled

"Because if you don't then the entire future will be effected, most likely for the worst," Magnus told him, and Alec found satisfaction in the way his father's face paled.

"We won't remember any of what we were told?" asked the younger Magnus, looking with equal parts disbelief and yearning at Magnus and Alec's intertwined hands, and the matching gold wedding rings they wore.

Magnus smiled kindly at him, "You will get to experience it soon enough," he said, before lifting a hand and sending a flash of blue magic towards the three of them. The magic floated around their heads like halos as Magnus, Alec and Jace all stepped into the portal, returning to their own time.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked this! I go back to school tomorrow so I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update, but I guess I'll just do my normal way of 'oh I have an idea' and then sitting down and writing, editing and publishing it in one go if I can. I would love to know what you thought of this oneshot! As always, feedback comments and kudos are adored (but you don't have to)! Until next time!  
> ~CrypticNotCoy


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